Switching From Xanax To Atarax

Sure hope I can get some help here. I've been on 2 mg. Xanax for years, well over 8 years. My doctor called me last week and told me as of January 1st, Xanax, Valium, believe she said all Benzos will no longer be around! I did some research on this and saw where some States are doing this but did not see North Carolina (where I am), listed, of course I'm not through checking into this as it does take awhile, so thought instead, I'd come here and see what, if anything, anyone else has heard. I've been with this doctor for a little over 15 years so don't think she'd lie to me. She wants to give me, "Atarax" staring in January. What I've read of it, in other forums, most said it did not help their, Anxiety and Panic Attacks (I have both), plus it gave some vivid dreams and others vivid nightmares! I have a high tolerance too. I'm also wondering if I'll go through withdrawals while taking this new medicine? I'm wondering if there is something else I can take that is not in the Benzo family, anyone know? If my doctor was still in the same city as myself, I could just ask her but she moved to another town last month making it hard to get up with her, I'll still be seeing her as she's only around 40 miles from me. Wish she'd hurry and get her website up, then maybe I could contact her through it. I cannot call her right now as I don't have that many minutes on my phone...not until Dec.11th, that's when my minutes rolls over. *if it's not one thing it's another, right?* {wink} I'd appreciate any help/information/links that anyone can provide me with. I don't think I'll like 'Atarax', especially with those type of dreams it creates and with me having a high tolerance, my body gets use to medicine so fast, for sure a negative in my life! Thanks for listening and hopefully someone out there will be able to offer some suggestions. Take care~

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Another idea you can ask your doctor about is Buspirone, it is not a benzodiazepine, but can help with most of the same conditions.

The FDA lists its typical side effects as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, and dry mouth.

Does anyone else have any ideas of what might help?

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Thank you Verwon! I'll check it out and see what most people say about it. You wouldn't happen to know if I could take it and Xanax too or rather, take them and if I have a panic/anxiety attack and they don't work, then take a Xanax? I saw where you said on other threads it takes about a month to start working and that's what I'm wondering about, going that month waiting for it to take effect ...or...since my tolerance is so high, maybe it'd take less than a month? Thanks again Verwon, take care~

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Tapered to 1/8 MG X3 Xanax from 2mg daily. Any suggestions for the next step?

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Richie you said: "Tapered to 1/8 MG X3 Xanax from 2mg daily. Any suggestions for the next step?" Suggestions for what? I mean sounds like you're doing good tapering off of them but then again you didn't say. The "X3" I take it to mean, 3 times a day? Were you wanting to get off of them or was it your doctor's idea? You didn't give too much information so not sure what you need suggestions for. My doctor had me down to three 1 mg.s a day for two weeks, then two and a half for the other two weeks and then script was to be lower but I couldn't do it because of my high B/P and car messing up which made my stress level go up...anyway I called her and long story short, she told me there was No law about taking pain meds and Xanax in the same day, it was DEA...someone, coming down on the doctor's because of all the abusers and the sudden deaths (at least here in N.C.), so since I seem to do okay on taking the one mg.s three times a day, she is going to keep my script on that, which is fine by me. Anyway, it sounds like you're handling taking 1/8 mg. pretty good, so if you can get off of them, I'd do it in a heartbeat! Verwon suggested me taking 'Buspar' since it's not a Benzo. but I didn't have to go that route. Google it to see what all it says about it. Take care and good luck Richie~

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